The advent of modern fast-paced lifestyles often requires consumers of so called fast-food or take-out orders to consume food items purchased while driving, standing, or seated in areas where no table-like support or other dining accommodations are available. As a result, it is often difficult to manage food items while eating and to prevent excess crumbs, condiment, or natural juices from falling or dripping on the consumer.
The objective of the invention described herein is to provide a disposable and inexpensive container for packaging fast food sandwiches that allows a consumer to hold, manage, and consume the contained food article without removing it from its container. Such a container allows the consumer to insert his thumb through a perforated punch out opening in the container side panels and hold and manipulate the contained food article from its bottom. With the container in its open position, the consumer may hold the top of the food article with his remaining fingers using the little finger behind the container hinge to steady the container. Such a container, by facilitating consumption of the contained food article without removing it from its container, confines crumbs, excess condiment, and natural juice drippings to the container and prevents such unconsumed residue from falling or dripping on the consumer.
The container may be constructed from either cardboard or other recyclable material, (cut, scored, and perforated to permit a folded container), molded styrofoam, or any other biodegradable packaging material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,760,950 to Levick describes a holder for a pita bread sandwich constructed from a cardboard blank cut and scored such that when folded, the resulting structure defines a semicircular pocket open at the top for receiving and holding a pita bread sandwich. The semicircular structure is supported for standing upright on a table by two outer panels. However, this structure only defines a container for holding the pita sandwich and does not facilitate consumption of the pita sandwich without removal from the pita holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,023 to Cortopassi describes a multi-purpose folding paper board container incorporating content-identifying elements enabling identification of the container contents without necessitating the opening of the container. Again, however, such a container does not permit consumption of the food article contained therein without removal from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,054 to Liu et al. describes a circular apparatus for holding a food product where the upper half of the circular casing can be folded back to an open position to facilitate consumption of the food product. However, such a container does not permit the consumer to insert his fingers into the container and manage the food item during consumption. Further this container has no provision to catch food crumbs or drippings from the food item being consumed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,710 to Commisso, describes a thin plastic cover designed with a lower locking rim expandable in diameter when locked over the periphery of a circular plate. The primary purpose of such a device is to keep food warm and sanitary is not to facilitate consumption of the covered food article without removal from the plate covered.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,082 to Wood describes containers for food products permitting consumption of the food product directly from the container. However, one of the main stated objectives of the invention is to provide a container which prevents any contact of the fingers with the food product in the course of its consumption from the container. Therefore, such container does not enhance manageability of the food article during consumption.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,264 to Petrone describes a portable tray for both a beverage and a food article. However, the invention provides proper control and support for the beverage and the food product for transport purposes only and does not facilitate consumption of the food articles directly from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,232 to Reed describes a portable tray for supporting and carrying articles such as ice cream cones and sandwiches. The described invention however does not permit consumption of the food articles contained therein directly from the container without removal from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,356 to Mason describes a rectangular sheet of self-supporting material cut and scored in a manner as to be foldable into a fast food carry out tray which can be converted after use into a hand puppet. However, similar to the above-mentioned inventions, the described container does not permit consumption of food directly from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,704 to Steudel describes a display holder for bakery goods. The primary purpose of the described receptacle is to provide ventilation for bakery products placed in the receptacle such that vapors and warm air or gases escape preventing the crust of the baked goods from becoming saturated and soggy. Again, a primary objective of the described receptacle is not consumption of the baked goods contained therein without removal from the receptacle.